Maty Soul

Official Biography (courtesy of Maty Soul)

Maty Soul is a Singer, Songwriter, Composer and Producer, playing a style of Soul that is influenced by Reggae, and Hip Hop.

She has an organic, authentic and coherent approach to her life and music, writing songs that reach the souls of people and encourage them to take a look at what is happening in the world. She is different and will intrigue you. She often reminds people of Lauryn Hill and Janis Joplin in her vocal delivery which is very earnest with a warm timbre, silky and raspy sometimes. Her voice and slight French accent add to her unique international appeal. She does sing some of her songs in French.

Maty Soul was born in Paris and spent half of her childhood in the south of France. She grew up listening to Miles Davis, Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill and later Nina Simone, Donny Hathaway and artists from the Hip hop culture. For Maty Soul, it all started when one of her friends invited her over to mess around with her older brother's mic. Encouraged by everyone she decided to go for her love of music and never looked back. Living in the South of France wouldn't stop her from jumping in a train to Paris each time a Hip Hop or Soul artist was in town for a show, spending the night on her sister's couch.
To pursue her goal she decided to concentrate on music full-time. She left University before graduating and moved back to Paris. She started singing regularly in different venues, taking on minimum wage jobs to support herself.

In 2006, she launched her myspace page and uploaded her demo. Soon fellow artists were showing her support both on myspace and after stage performances (Les Nubians...). 2006 would also see her songs played on Campus radio stations in Europe and the U.S.A.. In 2007, director Ras Kassa discovered Maty Soul on the Internet and immediately suggested a collaboration. In 2008, she signed on to No Waiting In Vain, an independent label created by a Barbadian-French producer: Walking Bass. In 2009, she opened for a French Idol judge and jazz pianist, André Manoukian. That same year, Romain Gavras' (M.I.A. "Born Free"; Justice's "Stress") and Kim Chapiron's ("Dog Pound" movie) Kourtrajmé collective shot Maty Soul's first video, "Herbal Tea". That got her noticed, the video was scheduled for rotation on Centric TV ( a B.E.T. & MTV network) in February 2010. Maty Soul has been singing regularly in different venues (Enghien Jazz Festival, Le Réservoir, Le Sunset, L'Opus...).